ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
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Hi all-

We've made a custom housing to protect the Scalar model L2 
Scope-on-a-Ropes, and cables back to the cabinets, for our traveling 
exhibition "It's a NanoWorld." The L2 model is sold by School Technology 
Resources, with RCA connection to a television monitor(s) or video 
projector:  

http://www.strscopes.com

If you're using them in a supervised setting, they might work just fine 
as-is, without the housing.

They also make a version designed for use with USB connection to a 
computer, which is less expensive.  Both types use the same set of 
lenses, available at different magnifications.   They recently added a 
wireless version to connect to Ipad or Iphone or Ipod touch.  

And they've added a new style that has some adjustable zoom, looks to be 
lighterweight and less expensive, that might be great for programs.

Happy to send a couple of photos of the housing if anyone is really 
interested (and we've made some for other museums too for several 
hundred $$).  You can see one photo at the exhibition website:  click on 
"museum renters" and then "exhibit descriptions" and scroll down

http://www.itsananoworld.org/

Even then, with the heavy use they get in a traveling exhibition, the 
lenses need to be replaced every 6 months or so, and the cameras every 
year or so.  It does protect the cables (RCA connection to TV, and 
low-voltage power feed to camera) and keep visitors from banging the 
lens housings down hard, or messing with the settings on the camera to 
capture photos, etc.  They might be discontinuing that model for TVs in 
another year or two.

The hand held video magnifiers (30X and 200X) really work well to help 
young children come to understand that there are amazing things inside 
their bodies that are too small to see with just their eyes.  They don't 
understand microscopes, but being able to hold and move around the video 
magnifiers is a huge success to look at their hair, bellybutton, 
clothing, and samples we have mounted. Our target audience is 5-8 year 
olds, who don't understand magnification or scale, nor are they 
necessarily readers.  We've also got some hand-held 2X standard 
magnifiers plus 5X, and 10X loupe-style magnifiers.

Kathy Krafft
Exhibitions Curator
Sciencenter
Ithaca, NY

Erich Rose wrote:

>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>Sciencenter has made some good versions of this.  They have two in Nanoworld.  BUT they are still armor-plating commercial products. And having rented that exhibit they did need attention on occasion. As we all know nothing is truly kid-proof.  Contact Kathy Krafft.
>
>Good luck.
>
>Erich Rose
>
>Erich Rose Design
>807 The Living End
>Austin, TX 78746
>512-626-9930; [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>On May 24, 2011, at 4:24 PM, Beryl Rosenthal wrote:
>
>  
>
>>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>>*****************************************************************************
>>
>>Hi all,
>>We're starting some public health-oriented activities.  I don't necessarily want to get down to the microbial level, but we would want to have kids take samples from our reservoir and see what's swimming.  I always default to Wentzscopes, but I've heard that the Scopes on a Rope have gotten considerably better than they used to be. Any ideas?
>>Thanks,
>>Beryl
>>
>>Beryl Rosenthal, PhD
>>Executive Director, Waterworks Museum
>>[log in to unmask]
>>www.waterworksmuseum.org
>>2450 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02467
>>617.277.0065
>>
>>Please visit our website at www.waterworksmuseum.org, or follow us on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/jIX0El) and Twitter (http://bit.ly/fwZOVG)!
>>
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>For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
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